‘What a setting for a mystery’: Yaddo, the Yaddo records, and the memory of place

‘Yaddo’, recalled composer Aaron Copland, ‘became so much a part of my life that I tend to forget how strange the name sounds to those not familiar with it.’ By its very delineation, vagary of purpose, and posture of cloistered withdrawal, Yaddo is defined by a meticulously cultivated and carefully guarded tradition of community and cultural identity; one that was carefully preserved (and, in turn was informed by) the formation of an archive. My point of query centers on the particular consequences of the bond between historical trace and physical place being severed (as perhaps it always must be) when the very materiality that informs an institution’s ‘memory’ is irrevocably distanced.     

Observer based sliding mode controller for vehicles with roll dynamics

In this work, considering the roll dynamics and actuator dynamics, an observer-based control scheme for a vehicle is proposed. The proposal considers a nonlinear higher order sliding mode observer to estimate unmeasurable lateral velocity, roll angle and roll velocity. Using the observer information, a controller based on block control with sliding mode technique is designed for the reference trajectory tracking of the lateral and yaw velocities of the vehicle. The stability of the complete closed-loop system including zero dynamics is analyzed. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated through CarSim simulations.     

Die Körperzusammensetzung von Hobbygamern im Vergleich zu deutschlandweit erhobenen Referenzdaten

About two thirds of adults in Germany are overweight or obese. While an increase in the consumption of high-calorie food is considered the main cause, the influence of various forms of sedentary activities is still controversially discussed. The aim of the present study is to compare the body composition of hobby gamers with reference data collected throughout Germany and to examine the effects of intensive use of computer games (gaming) on body composition. A total of 68 male participants of a computer game event aged 18–46 years (27.9 years; 180.1?cm; 83.5?kg; BMI 25.7) were examined for fat mass, body cell mass, extracellular mass, body water and phase angle using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA, Nutriguard MS type, data input). Ten test persons were retested by means of segmental 8?electrode BIA after a 24?h interval during their visit to the event. As a reference sample, data from 278 male adults of the same age (27.9 years, 179.4?cm; 78.8?kg; BMI 24.5) were collected in 168 locations throughout Germany. The hobby gamers reported on average 37.1?h screen media usage per week. Compared to the reference sample, they showed a slightly higher body cell mass index (p?<?0.01, T?=?4.07), but no differences in fat mass index (p?=?0.96, T?=?0.05) and phase angle (p?=?0.90, T?=?0.12). A significant increase in body water (T₀: 48.2?l, T₀₊₂₄?_h: 49.3?l; p?=?0.04, T?=?2.39) and decrease in the phase angle of the lower extremities (T₀:?7.40, T₀₊₂₄?_h: ?6.85; p?<?0.01, T?=?5.40) was observed in the 24?h retest. Compared to the reference data collected throughout Germany, hobby gamers show no differences in health-relevant parameters of body composition. Nevertheless, after intensive gaming, a short-term increase in the amount of extracellular water in the lower extremities was found. Due to these disturbances in the water balance, the consequent execution of movement breaks during gaming is important.     

A Sportful History of Christianity: The Case of Twentieth-Century Sweden

Abstract

The sport movement was consolidated in Sweden during the first years of the twentieth century and grew rapidly from the 1920s and onward. Preceding and during these events, the Church of Sweden – the Lutheran state church – was losing its axiomatic position within Swedish society and church attendance was decreasing. In this situation, many perceived the sports movement as a rival to the church or even saw sport as a new religion. However, as the sport movement grew, prominent representatives within the Church of Sweden and other Christian denominations adopted a more pragmatic view of the sports movement in order to appeal to people outside the ranks of the church, especially male youth. The sport field soon became a missionary field. The aim of the current essay is to account for the collaborative as well as the sceptical voices not only in the Church of Sweden, but also within the substantial Swedish revival movements, i.e. the Pentecostal movement and the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden. Further, these events will be analyzed from a gender perspective, discussing what was simultaneously perceived as a secularization and feminization of Swedish Christianity.     

The parent-coach/child-athlete relationship in youth sport: cordial, contentious, or conundrum?

The roles of coach and parent are often synonymous in youth sport, but little data-based research has been conducted on the parent-coach/child-athlete relationship. Six boys in U-12 competitive soccer were interviewed regarding positive and negative aspects about playing for their father-coach. Similar questions were posed to father-coaches and two teammates. Inductive content analysis indicated that, among the benefits, sons identified perks, praise, technical instruction, understanding of ability level, insider information, involvement in decision making, special attention, quality time, and motivation. Costs of being coached by one's father included negative emotional responses, pressure/expectations, conflict, lack of understanding/empathy, criticism for mistakes, and unfair behavior. For father-coaches, positive themes included taking pride in son's achievements, reason for coaching, positive social interactions, opportunity to teach skills and values, enjoying coaching son, and quality time. Negatives included inability to separate parent-child from coach-player role, placing greater expectations and pressure on son, and showing differential attention toward son. While teammates perceived some favoritism by the parent-coach, they cited mostly positive instructional experiences. Results are discussed within motivational theories that highlight the influence of significant adults on children's psychosocial development in the physical domain.